The present invention relates to vehicular radiators for the cooling systems of internal combustion engines and more particularly to a vehicular radiator assembly of the planar type. Prior radiator assemblies of this type include a plurality of rows of tubes separated by a plurality of rows of fins. The tubes are connected at the top and bottom to header plates. This comprises the core assembly, and the core assembly is supported on side frame members with the side frame members being connected to the header plates. The side frame members also support heavy tanks communicating with the top and bottom header plates. Thus, the frame assembly in these prior radiator assemblies consists essentially of two side frame members and the upper and lower tanks which must of necessity be of heavy construction.
One problem associated with radiator constructions of this type is that because of the differential thermal expansion between the side frame members and the fluid carrying tubes there exists a stress relationship between the tubes and the header plates. To some extent this differential expansion is compensated for by flexure of the header plates. However, the flexure of the header plates is limited adjacent the end of the plates, and particularly near the first row of fluid carrying tubes in the core assembly. Frequently this problem results in closing off and rendering inoperative the first row of tubes at both sides of the radiator core assembly, and thereby reducing the capacity of the radiator.
Moreover, the problem of differential expansion becomes more acute in radiators having large frontal core areas.
It is the primary object of the present invention to diminish the problems of the prior art.